Anna Zhao

    anna.whizh@yahoo.com

    FRENCH communities and the French-speaking population in Shenzhen are celebrating the International Day of La Francophonie this week with various activities highlighted by an “All Talents Welcomed” party Thursday night in OCT Bay, Nanshan District.

    This is the second year Shenzhen has been the host city for a global occasion that celebrates the French language and Francophone culture in the 77-member countries of the International Organization of La Francophonie.

    Organized by Shenzhen Bienvenue, a French social club that was established in 2011 to serve the French-speaking community in the city, the French cultural festival will include multiple activities to promote cross-cultural communications while commemorating Sino-French partnership.

    The club has organized a wide variety of events for different people. Activities in the club range from tai chi lessons, family concerts, wine tasting and excursion trips to cultural events related to Chinese culture and folk customs.

    The culture week began with the French Language Challenge, a French writing competition revolving around 10 words that were chosen to be representative of the creativity of the French language in 2013.

    The words suggested by the French ministry of culture and education are: ambiancer (change the atmasphere to a festive one), à tire-larigot (non-stop), charivari (everything upside down), s’enlivrer (be drunk of books), faribole (poppycok), hurluberlu (a scatterbrained person), ouf (whew), timbré (mad), tohu-bohu (hurly burly), and zigzag (broken line forming angles). These words display the huge capacity of the French language and wild imagination.

    None of these words are often used in daily life, and the French Language Challenge is an occasion to rediscover the funny sounds of French language and find ideas to use it nowadays.

    Participants of the competition were required to submit their works by March 12, using their own imagination to create texts with all 10 words in any literary form. The competition results will be announced in an award ceremony Thursday night.

    Today, French guitarists and singers will present a French music night beginning at 7:30 p.m. to all attendees free at Trainspotting Bar in Shekou, Nanshan District. The music interlude aims to attract participation from Chinese Francophiles and all nationalities living in Shenzhen.

    Starting from Wednesday, a series of activities will be held in the International School of Nanshan Shenzhen to promote French literature among children.

    Children will be able to watch movies, join interactive games co-organized by charity group IRNGO and watch magic shows to learn more about French language. A comic-strip exhibition illustrating the 10 words in the writing competition will be held from Monday to Friday to help children learn about literature in a relaxed and humorous way.

    A cultural party Thursday night will be the main event and will feature cuisine, wine and an art exhibition by French artists. Several photographers will demonstrate photography works with their individual artistic views on their native or adoptive countries. Prominent artists include Emilie Rolin, Michaël Guichard, Elodie Ravaux, Tanguy de Montesson, Ambroise Touvet and Jean-Philippe Maigret.

    This exhibition is also being held to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of Sino-French diplomatic relations with the participation of the general consul of France in Guangzhou, Chinese officials, representatives of the French community in Guangdong Province and representatives of international enterprises based in Shenzhen.

    Adding to the celebratory vibe is music from French group Les Gromechkos. The party will also feature a buffet prepared by gastronomes and sponsors of the event as cooking and oenology are two essential elements indispensible to the French culture.

    French music night

    Time: 7:30 p.m., March 18

    Venue: Trainspotting Bar, 2-107, Building 2, NH E-cool Innovation Park, Gongye Road 3, Shekou (南山区蛇口工业区工业三路2号楼)

    Party and art exhibition

    Time: 7:30 p.m., March 20

    Venue: Les Duos, Block B, Building12, Qushui Bay, OCT Bay, Nanshan District (南山区白石路东8号欢乐海岸曲水湾12栋B)